It may not feel like it, but fantasy football season is upon us. Whether you are playing in a redraft league or gearing up for a dynasty league, there is a new class of rookies to evaluate. They typically don’t have as much impact for redraft leagues, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some names to watch.
With running backs at the forefront of offseason storylines, this year’s class looks top-heavy, but don’t count at the depth. We know where the rookies will begin their careers; it just depends on who has landed in the most favorable position to let their talent speak for itself.
2023 Fantasy football rankings: Top 17 RBs
The consensus top running back in the class is Bijan Robinson. He dominated at Texas in college and was selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Robinson is expected to lead the backfield despite the 1,000-yard campaign that Tyler Allgeier turned in a year ago.
I doubt the long-term and short-term productivity of the Falcons’ offense. That’s why I think Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs is the better rookie back. Head coach Dan Campbell has come out and said that he expects a 50/50 split between Gibbs and free agent acquisition David Montgomery. Still, Gibbs has a strong outlook for this season and beyond as the Lions continue this new era of offense. No matter how you feel about them, they are the class’ clear No. 1 and No. 2.
Maybe it is from their recent collegiate seasons, or maybe it is from early training camp videos, but there is excitement around De’Vone Achane (Miami Dolphins), Zach Charbonnet (Seattle Seahawks), Tank Bigsby (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Kendre Miller (New Orleans Saints).
The Dolphins backfield is jam-packed with Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Achane. The good news is that Achane currently has the longest contract of the trio. It won’t be surprising if the backfield is turned over to him by the latter part of the season. Charbonnet has high expectations if he can stay healthy. He is expected to complement starter Kenneth Walker III.
Bigsby has looked good to begin camp behind starter Travis Etienne Jr. If the current trend of not paying running backs stands, he could be taking over as the starter sooner rather than later. His talent also could eat into Etienne’s workload even if they can develop into a split backfield. Miller is going to make headlines early in the season. Starting running back Alvin Kamara has been suspended for the season’s first three games. Jamaal Williams and Miller will get their chance to shine early in the season, with his potentially earning a bigger role during the season.
